A glimpse into history: A woman changes the world’s power structure

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When we hear „Queen Elizabeth“, we all immediately think of the current queen of Great Britain with her colourful suits. But she is Elisabeth II and there had already been an Elizabeth I before her who was Queen of England and who ascended the throne almost exactly 460 years ago: On January 15, 1559 Elizabeth Tudor was crowned in Westminster Abbey and her reign of almost 50 years completely changed the power structure in the old as all as in the new world.

„She was extremely clever, articulate, tough as nails and an extremely skilful strategist“ states Global Topspeaker and circumnavigator Stefanie Voss. Elizabeth I is one of the key figures in the worldwide history of piracy, and so Stefanie Voss has studied her in depth. „Women were a rarity on pirate ships, but in the history of buccaneers in Europe, Africa and especially in North and South America, this woman definitely played the decisive role. She used pirates – mainly the still world-famous Francis Drake – to expand her power and to amass unbelievable riches.“

In her presentation „PIRATE STRATEGY – What we can learn from buccaneers“, the communication and leadership expert Stefanie Voss singles out various historic figures. Then as now there were times of constant change and a great deal of uncertainty. Steering a tactically clear course in these troubled waters and unpredictable conditions was crucial for success.

Elizabeth I realised early on that she had to go her own, new and unorthodox way to secure and expand her power. In the well-trained, young British sailors, she found the perfect helpmates for her plans. Behind the scenes she, for instance, financed and supported several of Francis Drake’s extensive voyages. Officially he was a criminal, unofficially he filled her war chests.

„An unorthodox approach, daring actions and sometimes secret but always extremely reliable partnerships are characteristics that play an essential role in the entire history of pirates“, says the former department head of a DAX-listed corporation Stefanie Voss. „And that’s exactly what counts today as well – especially in business. Pirates provide loads of exciting inspiration for strategic planning as well as for everyday leadership.“

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